Wausau reaches deal to shelter stray cats

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) – The city of Wausau has reached a deal with its local Humane Society that will enable police to resume picking up stray cats.

Officers had stopped picking up strays in January because they had no place to put the animals after the city rejected a proposed $80,000 contract with the Humane Society of Marathon County.

Sheltering strays had been handled by Marathon County, but it began phasing out funding for the service this year.

With that cost-saving decision, responsibility for strays has fallen to municipalities. Wausau had hoped to bid out the job, but the Humane Society of Marathon County was the only agency that applied, Daily Herald Media reported Thursday.

The deal approved by the city council on Tuesday calls for the Humane Society to be paid $32,400 to house up to 150 strays picked up in Wausau and several surrounding communities. Additional animals will cost $220 each.

The other communities involved in the deal will reimburse Wausau for part of the contract.

The deal specifies that only cats brought to the shelter by Wausau or Everest Metro police will be covered.